Sivan Doron spent Spring Break this year in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Here are some of her thoughts on the nurse midwifery experience:What did you think of your international nursing experience?
It was an experience who kept me going for a while after I got back. There was a lot to digest.
What did you learn?
I learned about a different culture, about practicing women's health with zero resources. I learned how access to care is not only having services available to you, but also the physical ability to get there. The people we reached out and took care of would otherwise need to cross (by foot) miles and miles of sugar canes to get to the nearest hospital.
What surprised you?
Witnessing birth at a public hospital in La Romana, DR was a suprise and not for the good. One could get over the low resources (no running water in the bathroom, patients providing their own sheets) but doctor-patient power dynamics were hard to overcome.
How did your participation inspire you as a nurse?
I now know how gratifying it is to come with my own philosophy of care and practice it on women that otherwise have limited access to care.
Would you want to do it again? Why or why not?
Yes. Actually after having done that once I feel even more ready to go on and do that again. There's an mandatory "get out of the shock: period in the beginning of every new experience. I'm over that now, I can go straight to work!
